Asthenosphere
Definition, Meaning & Examples
Pronunciation /asˈθɛnə(ʊ)sfɪə/ · Part of speech noun
Quick meaning: Asthenosphere is a noun meaning (geology) A portion of the Earth's upper mantle, below the lithosphere.
Meaning
(geology) A portion of the Earth's upper mantle, below the lithosphere.
Example Sentences
Holonyms: upper mantle, outer mantle < mantle < Earth
To say that the lithosphere floats on top of the asthenosphere suggests a degree of easy buoyancy that isn't quite right.
The asthenosphere that underlies the surface plates is not liquid in any vernacular sense, although it is relatively plastic.
Word Forms
- asthenospheres
Related Words
Related dictionary entries include aesthenosphere, stratosphere, lithosphere, pedosphere, crust, pyrosphere.
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Sources & Attribution
FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dictionary data is provided by FreeDictionaryAPI.com and sourced from Wiktionary under its stated license.